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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764267">Echo Comes Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megadork/pseuds/Megadork'>Megadork</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Path of Destruction (Star Wars) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Eventual Romance, F/M, Graphic Description, Graphic Description of Corpses, Gunshot Wounds, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Multi, Other, Past Violence, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:20:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megadork/pseuds/Megadork</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I never thought I’d want anything in life. But after everything I’ve suffered through, I knew nothing could stop me from being selfish in chasing after you.” ~ Echo</p><p>Eleven years after the end of the Clone Wars, Jedi Knight Maxkri Wilwolv and members of the REBEL Phoenix CELL, spent uncertain times rebuilding and rebelling against the New Empire. The end of the war had lead to the Jedi and the Clones abandoning one other, including those who’d turned to the Empire or found new lives in other systems of the galaxy. </p><p>Being one of the few Jedi who took on this burden of bringing false Justice and Peace to citizens of an oppressed government, after the fall of the Jedi Order and the dissipation of the Jedi Council, gave Maxkri the title of “Beacon of Hope”. But it wasn’t too long after Maxkri left the CELL that he ended up in a skiff with some bounty hunters and earned himself a Bounty on his head. </p><p>All because of trying to be a Jedi. And “trying” to be a Jedi was Maxkri’s first mistake.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Boil &amp; Waxer (Star Wars), Boil/Waxer (Star Wars), CC-8826 | Neyo &amp; Original Clone Trooper Character(s), CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo &amp; Hardcase, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo/CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo/CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives/Hardcase, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo/Original Male Character(s), CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives/Hardcase, CT-7567 | Rex &amp; Clone Troopers, CT-7567 | Rex &amp; Original Character(s), Clone Troopers &amp; Clone Troopers (Star Wars), Clone Troopers (Star Wars)/Original Character(s), Cut Lawquane &amp; Original Character(s), Cut Lawquane &amp; Original Clone Trooper Character(s), Dogma (Star Wars) &amp; Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Path of Destruction (Star Wars) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108817</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So begins the journey of searching for Echo and Fives who have been missing since the fall of the Republic. But with an unexpected attack from vengeful-seeking pirates, Maxkri finds himself reunited with Echo sooner than he’d anticipated and on an endless hyperspace rescue mission to retrieve Fives. The secrets hidden behind Fives rescue will not only show the consequences of war but, if not stopped, the Empire’s plans to throw the entire galaxy into a black hole of fear…</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>   M</b>
  <b>axkri Wilwolv</b>
  <span> was at an arm's length of death as he stared into the eyes of a Clone- a certain ARC Trooper he thought he would never lay his gaze on again, let alone </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> Clone Trooper ever again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Echo,” he breathed out with so much emotion, the simple word wasn’t enough. In fact, one could hardly call it breathing when he was suspended out in space, straddled against the cockpit glass-screen, no breathing device on him. His black robe’s hood methodically floated up in refine to cover the top of his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   There was no one to call in. He thought he would die out here. He was stranded for less than a minute but that didn’t deter from the fact that NOBODY would come for him. The only thing protecting him from suffocating and freezing in space was the protective Force bubble he’d made around himself and the ability to use breathe control, a Force skill passed down from one of his Master’s master before him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The light freighter that he now used to own would be dropping to the nearby planet’s surface at an alarming pace by now and would be in pieces by the time it reached the ground. Pirates. Pirates infiltrated him and took him down. Someone by the name of Caalgen was still at large in a whole ‘nother planetary system and he was trying to stay away from him. But to send pirates after him? Pirates! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   His friend from the REBEL Phoenix CELL, Bezi, was taking a break, like him. But unlike him, others considered it abandonment from the cause. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What do you mean you’re leaving? You’re a Jedi! Jedi’s don’t abandon those in need!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The accusation left an unbalance of the Force within himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   His other friend, Handa with her droid, Guise, had been in contact with him. He lost contact with her hours ago. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   But what was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Echo</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of all people, doing out </span>
  <em>
    <span>here</span>
  </em>
  <span>? In dead space? In the middle of nowhere? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Wilwolv?!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The muffled shout of his old-friend through the glass let him know just how much his hearing was going out without the proper equipment to keep himself stable. Jedi training willing, he could probably survive a little longer out here without “real” air to procreate his lungs but the panicked look on Echo’s face suggested that </span>
  <em>
    <span>no you’re getting your magic ass in here now and I don’t care what it takes, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and frankly Maxkri could do with a nice bed right about now.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The clinking of his gear, plus his lightsaber was deafening against the quiet. Not too long after Maxkri felt his vision start swimming. Echo was grabbing his biceps, slipping an armored arm around his waist, and pulling him through the open airlock. Which, at the moment, was not properly secured. Not that it mattered with no else inside the carrier. Once he had him secure, Echo turned back around to close the hatch and reset the gravity magnets. The immediate weight of gravity pulling his limbs down dragged out a groan, and Echo chuckled, having magnet-locked boots to hold himself to the ground. Numb in clipping off the straps across his chest and legs, Maxkri focused through the Force for a moment, reaching a hand out to touch the cooling metal walls of the small freighter shuttle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   There wasn’t anything newly disturbing to the Force. He could feel Caalgen strumming his ‘saber through a tree instantly feeling the death of the plant's life. He could feel Bezi, a spark of joy, and calm resonating from her. He could tell that Handa was somewhere cold, or maybe that was just the robes weighing him down? Of course he too could strongly sense Echo’s worry and relief for him, a needle to the heart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “...General?” Busy shaking out his stiffening limbs, he’d missed what Echo was saying.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Opening his eyes, blinking the exhaust out his face, Maxkri responded, “Huh? I’m sorry, Echo, please repeat yourself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The blue-armored trooper rolled his amber eyes with a friendly smirk. “You always </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> a spacer, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised finding you out in </span>
  <em>
    <span>space</span>
  </em>
  <span> and all.” Maxkri scrunched his nose up in indignation at the joke, laughing despite himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Yeah… you could say that.” He wanted to leave it at that. Yet, the sight of Echo resting his hands on his own hip plates suggested that he wasn’t going to get anything done until he explained himself. It was only fair that he did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  With a sigh, he dropped back into the passenger seat and Echo followed suit, relaxing into the seats in front of him. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Hondo’s gang of pirates-.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Hondo attacked your ship??!”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri was quick to raise his hands up in alarm, waving them in a sign to calm Echo down who was now standing, fidgeting around the surrounding small space “No… I mean-... N- no! Quite the opposite actually it was another group, a more… ruthless gang of pirates. Enemies of Hondo I would assume based on what they had to say about him.” He cringed remembering their hands all over him, touching his lightsaber. The shiver didn’t go unnoticed by Echo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “They didn’t hurt you?” Echo’s voice was hard, expression tightening. He reached out to rest a calloused hand on Maxkri’s shoulder. An unnatural chill clung to his robes from being out in space. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri froze and looked up at him. The worry was evident now in this intimate closeness they shared. He wanted to close the distance, seeking that small ounce of warm comfort. But then Avin’s lifeless body lying limp in his arms flashed across his mind, reminding him why rules of attachments were forbidden and enforced throughout the Jedi Order… he pulled back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “No,” he relented to say, “They got handsy merely for inconvenience to grab at my talisman.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Your laser sword?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “My lightsaber.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   They exchanged a look of amusement that had everything else left unsaid. Echo moved away to press some buttons on the control panel while Maxkri busied himself by tapping his fingers on the side of the seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Despite fearing the worst, he felt his chest tightening with emotion again as he asked, “What are you doing way out here anyway?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Echo froze in his pre-takeoff checks to look back at Maxkri, glancing down to see his nervously drumming fingers. He couldn’t help the smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. Maxkri always </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the ever anxious Jedi Padawan he once knew. Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Padawan. </span>
  </em>
  <span>-Had it really been that long?- The last time Echo saw him, the General was being promoted to Jedi Knight and they decidedly celebrated in Echo’s bunker with the rest of his vods. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fives…</span>
  </em>
  <span> A quick flash of his counterpart, his long-time friend and partner came to mind again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m tracking down my vode, Fives. You remember him, don’t you?” For a moment, Echo was terrified of the certainty that he felt about him (and his brothers) not being a big part of Maxkri’s life, that maybe he forgot about them. As did everyone else who was dragged into the war, apart from Ahsoka or Obi-Wan. Still, General Kenobi had been one of the ones to shoot his brothers down without hesitations... Shaking his head, he looked back up from his tilted position and was shocked by the look on Maxkri’s face.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Forget Fives? Forget you? Any of the men that I had worked side by side with for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” It wasn’t a question for him to answer. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Never</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” The spite in his voice startled Echo to the core. Maxkri was clenching his fists at his side, still somehow in control of himself to stay sitting down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>   Men.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He’d called them men. Of course, he did because he was the only Jedi who’d ever put himself between them and danger. The padawan-... no, the General had had his own company of clones to command, and it seemed he was the only general who came out of missions with minimum casualties. He remembered the day Fives and he were transferred from General Skywalker’s company to General Wilwolv’s. The immediate change was a huge shock to them both. They both felt freer to express themselves here than they ever did under General Skywalker’s command. They felt protected, and overall, for the first in their lives, they wanted to be their General’s safeguard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “And we could never thank you enough for the things you did for us, General.” Echo resorted to saying after a moment of a loss of words. Maxkri gave a snort then a short, silent nod, which he supposed was as good an answer as he was going to get right now. Turning back to the panels to compute the next coordinates he’d received from an outpost, he felt more than heard Maxkri get up and join his side as acting co-pilot. At one point or another, their fingers would brush against each other and they would each share a small smile in turn, albeit Maxkri’s a little shaken and his just as timid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   With the war over and no reason to wear his armor as a symbol of being a part of the Grand Republic Army, Echo knew deep in his heart that it was much, much more than that now. The armor signified his identity and would continue to do so for as long as he lived. He even kept his ARC trooper rank atop his shoulders, which was just another one of those things he had to thank General Wilwolv for. “Please,” Maxkri finally said with a big inhale of stale air, “No more titles, just Maxkri. Maybe I’ll even let you call me Maxk.” He looked at Echo with a sharp smile, waiting until he was fully looking at him to flash a toothy grin with a wink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The trooper felt the dust of warmth brush against his cheeks before clearing his throat. Inputting the last digits of the route (which seemed to take him longer than usual to do), he gently slapped his right arm across Maxkri’s chest, pushing him to fall into the co-pilot chair. “Strap in and </span>
  <em>
    <span>udesiir</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We should arrive at this planet’s system momentarily.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Saleucami?” Maxkri’s face scrunched up again in confusion this time as he moved to buckle himself in, reading the coordinates data.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I received a tip. An outpost on the backwaters of Takodana. Though. Now that I’m saying it aloud though, I distinctly remember General Tano saying something about that planet before the end of the war.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri was listening intently all the while the small ship trembled and jerked in hyperspace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “A pretty Twi’lek smuggler informed me of where I could find some displaced ‘clones’ and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to jump around a few hundred systems. I certainly have nothing better to do with myself.” Echo pulled out a piece of paper to show him, a list of written down and crossed out planet systems on it. The far-away look in his eyes was disheartening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “As long as I get to see his face again, I think I can handle the strain. Besides, finding you was a coincidence. I happened to be making a pit stop by Florrum to cool the hyperdrive when I received a distress signal. And what do I find? You are floating about in space with nothing to keep you breathing! Don’t you know that the Outer Rim, especially Florrum, is overflowed with lawless thugs and pirates?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri gave him a pointed look and Echo snorted, “Right. Now, how about you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What about me?” Maxkri asked with wide indigo eyes. “I didn’t think you’d want me to tag along…-“ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Of course I do!” Echo interrupted with a defiant tone, clearing his throat with an awkward look after. “That is if you want to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I’d be so thrilled to see Fives again..! But that’s just it-...” He exclaimed, then sighed causing Echo to glance over concerned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What is it?” He asked, watching as Maxkri checked to make sure his straps were a little tighter against himself before facing Echo again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “After the war, you know how the Jedi Order fell apart and everyone just stopped… </span>
  <em>
    <span>caring</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Echo nodded and Maxkri sighed again before saying, “Well… ever since the Clones turned against the Jedi,” Echo winced and Maxkri cringed, “and that mess was “</span>
  <em>
    <span>fixed”</span>
  </em>
  <span>… I lost my contacts with the other Jedi and Masters because of my revelation of my forbidden attachments to my former company of troopers. I became a drifter, hopping from place to place throughout the Outer Rim.`` </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The ship gave a jolt and Maxkri tightly gripped the seat’s armrest. Echo growled out, “That’s not right! The Jedi Council always thought of themselves above all others. Especially you!” He softly spoke with a chuckle, “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>udesiir! </span>
  </em>
  <span>After all these years and you’re as anxious as ever. Some would think you’re General Kenobi with the way you act near and in anything that moves or flies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri laughed carefully, “...Am I ever! Yet eventually I got myself a crew and we became a part of a REBEL CELL. No pay: all we did was volunteer to help those in need with fewer odds against Imperial forces.” He bowed his head running a hand through a few rebel strands falling out of his hair tie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “But…?” Echo could taste the bitterness of sorrow wallowing around the Jedi- a feeling that he knew all too well from the deaths of his own family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “But a… </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I were caught by some Lieutenant supplymaster by the name of Lyste.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Echo sucked in a breath, “And, is he alright?” The question felt stupid, but maybe he was alright. Injured? Maybe, but alive, right? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “No,” He croaked dryly, “He sacrificed himself for me. A rather dumb decision on his part, knowing that I’m a force-wielder. I can defend and hold my own. He didn’t need to do something so </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupidly </span>
  </em>
  <span>heroic. And so I left the CELL.” Maxkri could feel his eyes watering at the memory of hearing the shot barreling toward his back. The ghostly touches of Avin’s body weighing his arms down. He could distantly hear his laugh, see his smile, feel his delicate, warm lips on his own… Maxkri quickly tried to silence the sob wretching its way out of his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I would have done the same, you know,” Echo smiled but there was a weight behind it. “We… all would have done it for you. In fact, we must have done a fine job of it if you’re still sitting here,” he made a pause, looking at Maxkri and swallowed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It’s called survivor's guilt. Don’t be angry with his actions, instead think of all of the happy moments you shared together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri blinked for a second, trying to settle his mind to catch a thought. He would recognize that small smirk and knowing look anywhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “How…,” falling on deaf ears, Maxkri licked his suddenly chapped lips to try again, “How did you-...?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “How could I tell your friend and you were lovers?” Echo offered. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ori’vod,</span>
  </em>
  <span> it is written all over your face anyone with two blind eyes could see that.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri sucked in a breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> hit a nerve. Avin was a Miraluka, a humanoid species that were not born with eyes. “I see…” Maxkri said, struggling to keep his voice even. Deciding to change the topic of discussion he asked, “How much longer to Saleucami?” Awkwardly presenting his arm out toward the glass barrier the whole ship shook and threw itself out of hyperspace. With a gasp, he dug his blunt nails into the armrest knuckles turning white because of the effort to hold on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Echo almost told him to relax for the third time during their trip but decided against it when he turned and saw the awe expression upon his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It is so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>green</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Maxkri turned to Echo in sudden forgetfulness and excitement, “Have you ever seen anything so green, Echo?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The use of his name made the back of his neck sweat with nerves. Still feeling a bit awkward Echo reminded him, “Uh, yes, remember Yavin IV?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri deflated, “I almost forgot about Yavin IV…” A haunting memory of Avin and him kissing in the lower decks as they orbited around a rich green planet came to mind. It took him a split second to mentally reach out into the Force and gather his feelings of sorrow and longing. He let the emotions flow out of his mind and out of his body, allowing himself to think nothing but of the calmness surrounding them.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span> Through my passions, I gain focus. Through this serenity, I gain strength. Through our victory, I gain harmony. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Without these emotions, I filter in peace. Without the light, there is no dark. There is no death, because there is </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>only</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> the Force.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Right,” he said, sounding more confident than he did at their reunion, “Let us see what we can find here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> ————————————————————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Well it sure is an ‘Oasis’ out here, Echo,” Maxkri remarked as they advanced past a few more stalls holding all kinds of merchandise. He didn’t miss the favored aggressiveness rolling off of the locals and travelers directed at the clone by his side as they walked further through the marketplace. Then it hit him. -That’s right.- The inhabitants here had wanted to stay out of the Clone Wars, and so they remained neutral. Bringing Echo here, nevertheless in full armor, must have sparked something like hatred for the man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Of course, the war eventually caught up with them. That’s how it always was, how it always happened. Planetary systems would claim neutrality, join the Republic, join the Separatist… or they would succumb to death.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   It was also where the Great Jedi Purge started. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Maxkri commented seeing the way Echo’s shoulders were locked up to his neck. It would seem he felt the same way. “That helmet of yours should keep our identity safe for now.” He eyed the blaster Echo carried close to his chest and the sprouting shoulder-ranks. Not like those made the situation look any better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Echo rolled his shoulders, “Safe for me or safe for you?” He joked but looked just as worried as he scanned his eyes up and down the sides of buildings and alleys. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Safe for both of us. Everywhere has been a little iffy since the end of the war and I don’t want to get caught in the wrong place with the wrong people.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Again.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri moved to stop at a little stall being run by a local Mustafarian. “Hello there, friend! Have you got any rations to sell?” Maxkri patted the side of his thick robe coverings to indicate he had credits to spend. While the Mustafarian slowly moved about the small space to gather and put their food in a basket, Maxkri moved his head to look over his shoulder at Echo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He turned again, fully this time to look to the distance, sharing the same serious stance as Echo, a concerned expression on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You’ve been tense ever since we’ve landed,” Maxkri observed a little puzzled by this behavior. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I know that we must remain on guard-...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Shh!” Echo shushed him not moving from his position, not even to turn and look down at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What-? Echo, tell me. What is the matter-?” Maxkri moved so he was standing in front of Echo to pointedly show his concern up to him. That only seemed to trigger whatever was out there. Suddenly, like an itch he couldn’t quite scratch, something seemed increasingly off. Then he sensed it: the warbling disturbance of air being penetrated by something that shouldn’t be there. But, before he could move out of the way Echo harshly grabbed his upper arms to pull him out of the way just as a blaster shot raced past the side of his head. Shaking the surprise off, Maxkri could hear the different shouts of alarm and just barely see the Mustafarians now dead corpse slumped over the stall on the other side of Echo’s shoulder.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Get down!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Echo shouted through his helmet, voice painted comm-like and planted himself on top of Maxkri on the hard ground.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Echo</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Get your kriffing heavy clone </span>
  <em>
    <span>choobies</span>
  </em>
  <span> off of me! You are crushing me!!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He knew what was coming next. In which, he meant that it had been a few years since he’d last run into any of them, but it was only a matter of time before they would catch up. Not only had he been careless but he’d led them straight to his biggest weakness; and what timing they had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Hurry! We don’t have much time!” He smacked his hands against Echo’s side in an attempt to get him to move faster but the big lug was determined to keep his heavily armored body over his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Goddamnit Echo!” As a last resort, he used the Force to levitate Echo up and off of him, reveling in the air that he hungrily sucked in through his mouth. Gently he moved his palm-up hand down, manipulating Echo’s movements to stand upright. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Quickly, he pushed himself to his feet not wanting to waste any more time lying flat on his stomach, exposed to the glaring eyes of onlookers. Oh yeah, he could definitely feel the comings of a bruise now after taking a hit to the ribs from Echo’s blaster rifle and the fall. On second thought he looked to Echo to see if he was alright, and he did. Besides standing there looking stock-still. Maxkri could feel through the Force his bewilderment at the notion of being lifted by nothing.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri wrapped an arm across his middle working to soothe the ache there and shifted forward. “Echo-.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Well if it isn’t the </span>
  <em>
    <span>ex</span>
  </em>
  <span>-Jedi known as Wilwolv Maxk-ri,” a garbled, clicking voice interrupted from behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri could feel his veins turn to ice as he froze in his motion of reaching out to Echo. Turning ever-so-slowly he came face to face with the last thing he’d hoped he wouldn’t see for many years to come. He supposed he should have known that coming to any planet in the Outer Rim territory would be a bad idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Well, are you going to say something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jedi</span>
  </em>
  <span>? After all, you owe me,” the Gree’s voice deepened with an ominous tone, swiping a tentacle arm across his unnaturally salivating mouth to collect the dripping saliva there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri felt an overwhelming wave of disgust and anger but quickly pushed it out into the Force. “Stay back, Davaunx.” He warned, spotting six other trackers making themselves known and approaching Echo and him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The shebs had them cornered. “I’ve heard many whispers of a Colt Aresta but I did not think that I would be so lucky as to find out that it was you, foolish boy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   -Kriff!- Maxkri cursed. His own body acted like a mind of its own pulling him to stand in front of Echo, partially extending his hands out to act as a shield should any of the seven in front of him let out a loose shot. If these </span>
  <span>Hunter's Guild</span>
  <span> knew about his new identity name then Davaunx definitely had a motive and it wasn’t just about money… And somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that this was all a set up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   A female Rodian moved forward then, her light green skin with yellow patches of scales stark against the constant greenery. A blaster was raised up against the grove of her shoulder bone. “I call dibs on the clone darling~” The Aurebesh dialect she used was distinguishable, not that it wasn’t common to speak it with Outer Rim Basic anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Zath,-” the Gran standing next to behind her started with genuine surprise. Two of his three eyes were wide, flabbergasted while the last one remained focused on Maxkri, narrowed angrily. His goat-like snout was twisted with a mix of his surprise and frustration, antennae-like nubs still atop his head. Maxkri felt his fingers twitch. If he could just ignite his lightsaber...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “What? I’m just saying. I bet he would have a lot more fun with me than with the likes of the rest of you.” The rodian, Zath, smirked then frowned looking over to him. Her eyes zeroed in on his hands as the antennas on top of her head vibrated. -KRAG!- Maxkri became very still. The female tracker narrowed her black, starry gaze before returning her focus to the humanoid goat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   A Chevin standing next to Davaunx snorted, “I don’t care what you two decide to do with him. We came here for the Jedi and that is all. Now can we get moving? I don’t want to be standing out in this rotten sun all day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Aghh, quit your whining, Uryur!” Another female (a Feeorin) responded in kind, mocking the short and big-headed creature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The three trackers: Zath, Uryur, and the Feeorin, had Echo’s backside surrounded now. However, Echo hadn’t noticed them circling around until they had vocalized their presence. Swiftly turning his body to face them he pressed his back firmly into Maxkri’s, aiming his DC-15S at them and intermediately changing his target between the three. It was clear both of them were outnumbered and throwing a lightsaber into the fight wasn’t going to help their case. He tried his best to keep his fingers from twitching toward it again, instead closing his eyes to breathe, expanding his senses out with the Force. </span>
</p>
<p><span>   Most of the outsiders and locals had long since went back home or to their ships. It felt like a ghost town without so many presences to distract his mind’s eye. Maxkri then focused on the aggressors: he already knew how many people consisted of Davaunx’s group, having revealed all of themselves as a show of strength. Their thoughts, however, were all in the wrong places. It didn’t feel right at all, they didn’t feel right. It was a jumbled mess of whos claim was here and when the money would get collected and </span><em><span>sex</span></em><span>, </span><em><span>sex,</span></em> <em><span>sex, kill, kill, kill</span></em><span>. -What the…?- Maxkri’s face scrunched up in confusion and shock at the primal thought penetrating through his mind-barrier. Turning his head from side to side, he tried to distinguish which of the seven members were broadcasting such a lewd and dangerous thought. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>  But after a few seconds of them bickering amongst each other Davaunx fired a shot to the sky, startling Maxkri out of his meditation and causing Echo to move an arm against Maxkri’s side. In turn, Maxkri had to steady his shaking arms from collapsing after being held up for such a prolonged time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   All but Davaunx let out gruff laughs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Enough talk. You two, walk,” the Gree said, more like an order than a signal as the two of them were forced away from each other and shoved forward by the blunt of two blasters each against their backs. Echo’s blaster rifle was taken by one of the two silent members that had yet to say a word to either of them. They looked new but both walked with a certain air of significant experience that the others did not. Maxkri should know, he was well acquainted with the other five already. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The ARC trooper glanced at him from the side but even with the helmet in the way it wasn’t hard to tell what expression he was conveying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He bit his lower lip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Now was as good a time as ever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I may have forgotten to mention one tiny, little detail from my past-...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Oh yeah? And what’s that General?” Maxkri could practically hear the thin line settled on Echo’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He winced, “Echo,” he gave a short sigh then slackened, “OK, well…. I may or may not have a bounty on my head.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “For krag sake, of course you do.” Echo cursed at the Jedi and the latter wasn’t so sure if he liked that or not. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Shut it you two or I'll blast you both.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Echo ignored the threat and moved his head to the side to look at him in resignation and quiet humor, “I guess I should have guessed it was bounty hunters the moment I smelled them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I said shut up, and you, face forward stupid Jedi.” One of the bounty hunters shoved their blaster harder into Maxkri’s shoulder blade. The sharp pain caused him to cry out and when he saw Echo ready to jump at the one who’d done it he shook his head. He shouldn’t risk exploitation or letting the hunters use him or Echo as a means to an end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Still, Echo struggled against the other’s hold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Don’t touch him,” he said with a hint of bitterness. “I swear…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Zath smacked her blaster against his helmet and he groaned against the beginnings of a headache. “The only thing you will be swearing to is that I don’t let Russ here have his fun with dear ‘Colt’.” She made sure to position Echo’s head toward a rough-looking Grand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> ————————————————————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Echo grunted, “The more I hear I look at them the more I want to punch their faces in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri looked surprised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’ve never heard you this aggressive before, even when we were in battle,” he said dumbfounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “That’s because </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> had to keep a level-head, protecting you and all,” Echo said calmly and with resolve. “That changes now though, they aren’t taking you away from me. Not now.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The determined statement made Maxkri’s heart beat faster. He did not really understand the meaning behind those words. His mind was still hazy from being smacked in the head after Echo’s outburst. The blaster that had hit Echo in the helmet obviously wasn’t enough to deter him from continuing a fight against Zath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The bounty hunter that had hit him was named Russ Cnacloo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   What was most unusual about the situation was the names. Usually, bounty hunters did not give out their birth names, unless they were nicknamed with aliases. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Thinking about anything other than breathing was resulting in a headache. He certainly was not in a hurry to pass from something as simple as a head injury so he needed to focus on getting them out of here. He would deal with whatever Echo was going through later. They needed to escape, now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri took a few heartbeats to catch his breath, shaking his long hair out to get rid of the sweat running down his face, and looked around the small cage he was enclosed in. Echo sat crouched to his right, noting the electric current covering his enclosure. Maxkri’s, however, was loaded with every lock possible and an electric field.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Mazkri sighed and worked on slowing his breathing. He laid down back, focusing first on blocking out his senses of the hard brackets underneath him and then cutting his senses off on where the others in the room were. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Two stood on guard on the other side of the door, two on their side. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The Jedi blinked at the sudden prick of pain and saw Echo cradling his singed hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>   Right, cut off from other senses, not expand them!</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>   An involuntary whine left his lips and he had to cover it up with a whispered, “Careful!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You try sitting here with no armor on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m freezing!”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Echo had a point. It was freezing, and the ARC trooper had been stripped of his armor leaving him exposed in his blacks. Granted, they had built in heating. Downside? The heating was damaged. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What good is the Force if all we do is run into more trouble? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Echo had said when they were shoved into the cold room and the cages. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Force works in mysterious ways.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The response being the only thing Maxkri could supply to him at that moment. He at least still had one layer of his robes, after being stripped crudely by Russ, but even that was making him sweat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>   The Force works in mysterious ways indeed.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri turned his head back up and quickly confirmed where the others were positioned before making his move. He wasn’t going to escape from his cage, that was for sure. Not without his lightsaber, which had been confiscated quiet early on. Even just thinking of using the Force to pull all of those locks apart </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> disabling the electric force-field gave him a bigger headache… like a mind muscle that he shouldn't even try to stretch. He could barely focus as it was, slightly shifting his gaze to see a blurry Echo rubbing at the exposed raw dorsal side of his skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He needed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He needed to use the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Force</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get them out. He just had to. It wasn’t a lethal action, not one that would kill him anyway. Thankfully, Echo wasn’t panicking. After going through the tortures of war and facing these same bounty hunters before, Maxkri was NOT going to drop his guard. He had to stay alive at least long enough to give Echo a fighting chance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m going to deactivate the field around your cage and the cuffs you have on you, but the rest is up to you. I’m afraid that is all I will be able to manage under these conditions. I’ll be lucky if I don’t pass out at this rate.” Maxkri explained calmly, his muscles spazzing as he sat up again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Take it easy,” Echo raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know ‘uch of the Force but I know it isn’t good to overwork it. Out on the battlefield it was different… you had no choice. I’m serious Maxkri, do not strain yourself. I could not forgive myself if you’d…” Echo trailed off struggling to find the words. Maxkri smiled and, with no other words to exchange, extended a hand to Echo’s chains. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He closed his eyes and opened up his mind and spirit, letting his mind try to picture what the gears looked like inside the locks. The constant turmoil of light and dark within him never reaching a complete dyad. The most prominent one pushing itself forward was the Light. It fueled him like… well like a </span>
  <em>
    <span>force</span>
  </em>
  <span>. No. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Multiple forces.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Atoms, people, planets, stars, like gravity pulling each of their elements together. Always at least a mere pull to the center of any place he was in, and sometimes, if he concentrated, he would levitate above it. A few times, he’d felt as light as a feather, so unweighted that he was afraid he might float up into space. Other times, if he used the darker side, he’d felt so weighed down that he thought he might sink into the ground. Like quicksand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maxkri divided into that feeling of lightness, reaching for the elements that made up other life, other natural forces that convened in the planet itself. Next to him was Echo, blinking a soft blue color that emitted a calm force. There was no fear, no anxiety about the situation, but he clearly anticipated the next move. Maxkri moved on past him. He was looking for those darn handcuffs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  There. Like a holo-video clearing from static, the Force gravity that bound the atoms of Saleucami’s thousands together exploded into Maxkri’s mind. It was like opening color blind eyes to a world of color for the first time. The Force was full of color, so many colors, and fixtures of the connections within the wrist cuffs were outlined in these colors. Like a beacon. It brightened in its color, directing him to what he searched deeply inside for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   This was how Maxkri saw the Force. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Two soft clicks let him know that the cuffs had fallen off, removed. Echo stared at his unlinked wrists in awe rubbing and massaging at the sore skin to gain feeling back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri smiled at his reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   However, this needn’t be delayed any longer. Keeping his arm extended with a frown of concentration he focused his attention on the electric field surrounding the cage and magnetized his mind to picture it losing power. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He imagined that with the flick of his wrist the field’s energy would be consumed by itself as if stanched by a resistor device. The ugly purple and green color that surrounded Echo dimmed grey until it vanished from existence. When he opened his eyes again the purplish-white energy around Echo’s cage was gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   After that it became easier. He got one of the padlocks on the cage door open, followed by two more- which he also used the Force to gently set down so as to not make noise- that left Echo’s door wide open. He moved on to his own electric field before he started to feel a horrible throb pass through his body. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Slow down.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A voice not his own splintered across the Force, shocking him like a bolt of lightning. It was clear, familiar… and caused him to lose his focus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   His mouth felt dry and he tried to open his mouth to lick his lips and gather salvia down his throat but there was nothing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey? You’re not looking too good.” Echo commented in a low voice, glancing to see if the two guards had noticed him out of his cage yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “What?” Maxkri questioned, maybe a little too loudly. With a stealth he never knew Echo had, he was back in his cage. Maxkri immediately called out to the Force, calling for the electrical current to reappear. Its ghastly colors returned twisting and turning in his shaded vision like it was angry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   The two alien guards looked over at the two of them curious and suspicious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   After they looked away he released his hold on the Force and the field extinguished itself once more. Echo came out from his inside cage and made a face that had him giggling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh maker</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that hit couldn't have possibly given me brain damage</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Clearing his throat he steeled himself to focus on directing Echo on how to deactivate the electricity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Thank the Force it was mainly dark in the room they were trapped in. The guards didn’t seem to have good eyesight in such dim lighting either- and neither did they. But he had to be careful. The moment his purple barrier went out, he would have to quickly open the padlocks. Closing his eyes he let himself focus on the colors that surrounded Echo. The sound of Echo’s labored breathing, the cold concrete beneath to keep himself in the present.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Maxkri nodded his head giving Echo the signal to turn the field offline. Immediately Maxkri did what he said he wouldn’t. Raising his hands he sloppily reached out to the Force to unlock all </span>
  <em>
    <span>twenty</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the locks. A mass of ugly brown colors hammered different locations into his mind’s eye, pinpointing where each lock needed to be turned to unlock it. A wave of drowsiness and confusion blew over his mind like a haze. His pupils enlarged and he felt himself slump forward, losing consciousness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> ————————————————————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  When Maxkri came to, Echo was in his full armor carrying him piggy-back style with one hand. Echo also had Maxkri’s lightsaber ignited and his helmet on Maxkri’s head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Wait, “What the-!” Maxkri shouted when Echo shoved his lightsaber into the rodian with a grunt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “That’s for hurting our Jetti!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   Sick revenge and the need for vengeful justice drizzled through the Force and washed over like a dark rainbow into him. He needed to get control of the situation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “After them! I will not have you imbeciles lose our money!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   But there was no way to stop this. He was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jedi, both of their lives were on the line. Maxkri looked over his shoulder and tightened his hold around Echo’s neck and waist. Davaunx looked pissed. Echo looked up to Maxkri with a cocky grin, and the next thing Maxkri knew Echo was setting him to stand on the ground, shoving the still ignited lightsaber into his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   No one moved for a moment, save for Davaunx barreling down the corridor toward them, until Maxkri gave a small gasp. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m sorry about using your lightsaber but you know I had no choice. I had to get us and you were suddenly just out like a light. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to try. I just needed to get us out of there. I told you not to exert yourself.” Echo hastily explained stepping back at arm’s length with a rising panic in his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Look Echo, I appreciate your quick-thinking skills but to use a lightsaber in such a way, well it-...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Davaunx rushed into Echo, laughing, “I have you now, you good-for-nothing slave! You’re going to be sold to the highest bidder. You’re going to make me the </span>
  <em>
    <span>richest </span>
  </em>
  <span>bounty hunter in the galaxy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I don’t think so.” Maxkri ignited the other side of his lightsaber blade and thrusted one end into Davaunx and the other into Russ.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Just in time,” Echo panted pushing Davaunx’s dead body to the ground with a grunt and planting his hands on his protected knees to catch his breath. “I’m glad that that is over now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Yes. I’m more relieved than glad,” Maxkri said softly, trying to straighten himself like he didn’t just kill the hunter that had been tracking him for years. Echo looked at him with something like praise. Although, that smile dissipated into a frown as he watched Maxkri stay quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “Maxkri?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He was contemplating what Echo had said to him before handing back his lightsaber.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “I have to apologize. I didn’t get to finish what I was saying earlier but I wouldn’t this to sound as if I was reprehending you. Using someone else lightsaber, it’s, well it’s personal. I guess it’s kind of like taking my underwear and swinging it around,” Maxkri said, holding his elbow in one hand and the other in the opposite hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “But something tells me I should let you hold onto it for now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “But Maxkri! I can’t take your… under clothes away from you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   He laughed, “My underclothes! Echo, I trust you with my life. My lightsaber may be one of the most personal things to achieve in a Jedi’s existence but it doesn’t mean I don’t trust you with it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Echo nodded reluctantly and stood from his bent over position.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shall we?” Maxkri asked motioning to the front of himself extending his other arm to him with his saber in it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I need to carry you again?” Echo shot back with amusement, carefully taking the heated lightsaber metal from Maxkri’s warm and delicate looking fingers. Echo, for his part, was relieved that he at least knew how to turn the laser sword on and off should he need to protect them again. Without the lightsaber, Echo feared the day might have ended in an entirely different scenario.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maxkri sighed and his knees slightly buckled under the weight of his mind. It was like his mind-muscle was being twisted over and over. He didn’t like the idea of going back out into the open but he didn’t want to stay in here any longer either, the smell of drying blood filling his senses. It almost brought up a memory from the war… no, he pushed the image to the back of his mind. No, he didn’t like the idea one bit, but he couldn’t risk another mistake like back there either. He and Echo needed to find what they were looking for out here and fast.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Maxkri silently followed behind in the dank building as he scanned around them for any danger, hoping that whatever the Force had in store for him it wasn’t another ambush. His head lobed to the side, uncomfortable with the helmet that Echo had lent him. It was a fine little thing, though. Now that they were out of danger, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly tense and nervous. After all of these years, he supposed one way he could have dealt with the bounty hunters was to call on his friends for help. But there was also the Guild he’d come to find out about. No doubt some other ‘hunters' were around here somewhere to finish the job that Davaunx couldn't and hadn’t done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you holding up?” Echo slowed his pace and looked back at him. “Do I need to carry you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop asking me that,” he smiled, not able to find a reason to be annoyed by the repeated poke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo tipped his head starting from his feet to the hair he had tied back in a bun. He nodded but noted the lack of shoes he wore. Maxkri exhaled a long sigh, trying to slow his breathing, trying to remind himself it was not the best idea to collapse unconscious again. They reached the door to the place and Echo glanced back at him. With a nod, both of them pushed it open and rushed the other side. They blinked in surprise… the whole of town stared back at them in equal surprise. They must have looked crazy: a clone holding a blaster up in one hand, the other just barely brushing the side of Maxkri’s lightsaber that was clipped to his belt while the Jedi held out his arms and hands in a protective gesture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha… oops. Don’t worry, everything’s fine!” Maxkri awkwardly announced, standing straight to rub at the slight buzz at the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri looked apologetically at Echo who still held his stance with a short hum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, we should get moving before-...” Maxkri didn’t get to finish his sentence. Not that he needed to… But his vision was suddenly blinding white. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“ Kriff, Maxkri, can you hear me?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The ARC trooper grasped at his shoulder and quickly lowered his blaster to catch him. “ </span>
  <b>Kriffing Hell .</b>
  <span> Maxkri, I need you to stay standing, say something.” He could see Echo biting his lip. His amber eyes wide and his face twisted worriedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...‘s okay, I can stand.” Maxkri slurred out with a pained groan. Shit. His head was pounding itself a new one and Echo had already gone through pack-strap carrying him out of that heavily guarded room (however he managed to do that he would have to ask later). And Echo actually didn’t mind putting himself in danger, which was irritating enough… hell, the helmet upon his own head was a clear message. Even if the poison was a small setback, it sure packed a punch and a big part of him felt shame at his weakness. Once he had him standing he stumbled his weight into Echo as he couldn’t stop his knees from giving out under him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay. I got you. Should’ve just said you needed to stop, geez. So stubborn, so much like General Kenobi. I don’t even want to know if you’re as bad as General Skywalker if you’re going to keep throwing yourself into situations like this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri lifted his head back to stare at him hard, crossing his eyebrows. He felt his tongue hesitated on the verge of his lips with a breathy humorless laugh. He didn’t have a clue what to say to that… but the stinging pain in his chest answered it for him. “Force-sake, ’s go. Don’t care ‘ff carried.” The words fell numbly but Echo understood enough to nod in return with a serious turn of his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to keep you standing, okay? I’m going to move your arm around me now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gently Echo lifted his arm across his shoulders and, strapping his blaster to the other side of his belt, held it in place with his other hand. Shrugging him closer, he put his other arm and hand around his waist and supported his weight against his armored side. The material was plastoid-alloy, rough and sharp but it kept him grounded. After Echo made sure he was steady, he started briskly walking around the locals that had long since gone back to their own business. He had to make haste as he suspected Maxkri was already far gone in his pain and something had to be wrong. The town edifices were lessening and with it the locals, but that seemed to be the least of Echo’s worries. He propped him against the last of the towering structures. Maxkri moaned under the headgear making sure his feet stayed planted into the ground while Echo disappeared inside. He reappeared not moments later with a landspeeder at his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mere, we should arrive there faster with this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His tongue still felt numb but he forced himself to ask. “You… know where we’re going?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Echo assured. “I admit Cut won’t be expecting us but in any case, I don’t think he would have at all.” He was referring to himself as a low-surviving clone again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri frowned with a hint of sympathy and climbed behind him on the landspeeder. They took off, leaving the small town behind and speeding toward the outer farmlands. The planet was still very green, having more than a decade of time and healing to take place. The air was stale beneath the helmet but that proved how fresh it must taste, and the wind was crisp and hot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stopped in a hidden clearing overlooking the soldier’s home. Maxkri stared at the calming fairy lights strung up around the nice-looking lodging and reached out with the Force to sense if anyone was inside. A small smile graced his chapped lips at the warm, fuzzy feeling that entered his soul at the prodigy of five life-forms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me what I should ‘xpect from this… ‘Cut’?” Maxkri posed with a curious tilt of the head. The helmet awkwardly bumped against the side of his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember Jesse saying he was a reasonable man when they first met. It’s a hard bargain that he might have some spare sympathy leftover for our troubles.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Vod?” Maxkri asked, more curious now. “I thought all of you were, your brothers, in the war. There were… are others that were not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Echo abated and turned to face the house again. “He wasn’t… surrounded by men like us for as long as we have been.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Men like us?” Maxkri let out a forced laugh. “It’s not like there were many options between men like ‘you’ and ‘men’ like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo shook his head in agreement with a roll of his eyes and tried again. “He was a deserter, something Captain Rex did not take lightly, or like for that matter,” he said with a grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I can imagine,” Maxkri huffed. He wasn’t surprised in the least. Captain Rex was a fearless and aggressive captain and he took his command seriously when it came to keeping his soldiers in check or keeping them safe. It reminded him of the times when he and Anakin would team up for an attack on the droids (which always ended with them running into General Grievous or having an occasional glimpse of Darth Maul), and Captain Rex would scold him for preventing Echo and Fives from doing their job. In this case, the other clones of his squadron usually looked up to him in awe and inspiration. And this was also the reason why Obi-Wan was usually there to stop them from doing anything too drastic or stupid. Maxkri knew War would not be benevolent to him but he at least hoped the captain would have someone around to solace him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, well,” Echo walked over to stand in front of him, back facing him and blocking his view of the house. “Let’s not stand out here like a pair of clankers,” he joked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a chuckle, Maxkri attempted to step back but that was enough for him to feel dizzy. “For once I agree, my body is starting to disagree with me,” Maxkri heaved putting a hand up to lay it against the front of the helmet. His forehead felt hot and sweaty like he was coming down with a fever. Then he felt himself gasping for breath, reaching up to claw at his throat, trying to lift the helmet over his head. “Oh maker…” Maxkri rasped feeling his jelly-like arms failing him and techno-ed vision swimming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His whole body trembled. Somehow it all felt so much worse. A sensation of Fear electrified, crawling through his insides so quickly that he panicked for a moment thinking it was his own but upon trying to focus his gaze on anything he realized it was coming from Echo, who glanced back at him and shouted, barely tripping over himself after turning around too fast. The few steps he’d taken backward brought him close enough to catch himself against the landspeeder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maxkri?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Force, Echo... need to see.. breathe.” Maxkri couldn’t speak. He was overwhelmed again with a collapsing of Fear and then he felt nauseous. Echo came up on either side of him grasping the sides of the helmet and lifting it gingerly but familiarly, just as he had done so many times before for his fallen brothers. The humidified air was refreshing like a drink of cold water. He took it in stride but his vision wouldn’t clear yet. He turned to the side, cheeks hollowing as he held back an onslaught of vomit. Then collapsed back against the ‘speeder with a moan of discomfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bic cuyi jate?” Echo’s tone was a gentle worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his lips twice before he could hear his voice. “Very.” He rasped with a sigh, groaning as an involuntary shiver passed through his body. Too much time had passed since the first injection, and while the poison wasn’t lethal there was no telling what it was doing to him. Whether it was some simple virus that he wouldn’t die from or something that would cause him more problems than he would like to think about… He was still shaking as a side effect of a symptom, no doubt. It hadn’t been contagious thus far but he felt his own fear that he wasn’t worried about himself dying but more likely that Echo would die because of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to breathe. I’ll be fine in a moment-...” There would be no fear in him though, he breathed in a heavy breath through his nose like a sniffle and breathed out again calmly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Peace, Calmness is the only healing that you need to focus on,</span>
  </em>
  <span> his masters’ voices harmonized in his mind relaxing his forehead features. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Breathe as we taught you Chikra,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he did, trying hard this time to not let the term of endearment and so far gone voices overwhelm him with emotion as he usually did when he was alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo dragged himself backward from straddling Maxkri, rigid and tense, “ </span>
  <em>
    <span>manda,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m glad you’re still able to lift the tongue. Keep talking. Please.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri startled at that then offered him his arm with a small smile and a roll of his eyes at the dramatic plea, and Echo lifted it over his shoulder to help him walk again. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> the dramatic one, hm?” He stated as they walked through the long grass. The crunching of sticks and leaves underfoot, a creature calling in the light of the setting sun. It was the loudest he’d sensed any sounds since stepping on planet. When they stood in front of the home, sounds of laughter and spirited-talking reached his ears, a tingling sensation stirred inside his ears and rolled down his spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited for a heartbeat before giving Echo a nudge when he continued to stand there and stare at the large slab of wood. </span>
  <em>
    <span>- Go on -</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He thought with an incredulous look as he tried to silently encourage him to knock. - </span>
  <em>
    <span>You got this</span>
  </em>
  <span> -.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let go of Maxkri’s hand over his shoulder, politely knocking three times on the door, before grasping it again quickly after. Maxkri smiled as softly as he could through the soaring pain at Echo’s plain desperation, concentrating on the voices instead that suddenly hushed on the other side. There was a pause before an identical Echo opened the door and upon looking down Maxkri saw a little twi’lek at their feet. They couldn’t have been more than 8-basic-years-old. They smiled up at him with bright, blunt teeth while the Clone at Maxkri’s side checked out the clearly older one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri wearily held up a shaky hand to wave despite the sluggish way he was holding himself up and smiled at the burly but weathered Clone. “Hello, you must be Cut. My name is Maxkri… Domino.`` </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo looked down at him in surprise but quickly covered it by clearing his throat, averting his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to put a name to a familiar face.``</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The red-head looked at Echo, then Maxkri suspiciously because of the pause, and tightened his jaw as if he wanted to counter what had been said. Instead, he sighed dramatically, putting his hand on his forehead and rubbing it methodically. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Domino…hmph. I would swear it’s like everyone knows where I live.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo opened his mouth like he was going to comment on what he’d said but Maxkri shushed him with an elbow to the rib. The other Clone didn’t take notice and lifted his chin. “Cut Lawquane but since you already know my name this is my youngest daughter, Dosara.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Dosara.” Maxkri tried a smile. “This is my partner, Echo.” Maxkri introduced, then cringed noting that that probably sounded like they were together. But Echo was too busy scanning the inside of the house with a conflicted expression to include himself in the conversation. And besides, he’d already made Echo’s academy day’s squad name as his surname.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes…,” the ex-trooper tapped his chin thoughtfully, “I’ve heard of you.” He meant Echo, then turned his attention to look down at him with a mean scowl, “I see then you must be here to help your… partner.” Cut said honestly referring to Maxkri’s undignified appearance rather than really talking to him, turning to focus on Echo again with narrowed eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you know Echo?” Maxkri asked, trying to catch his attention again, annoyed and unbearably sweaty and nauseous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cut nodded with a reluctance that had not gone unnoticed by Maxkri. “I know his kind. It wasn’t under great circumstances either. One of them mentioned an Echo… I seriously hope you didn’t bring trouble with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, was probably what he wanted to add Maxkri thought staring at Cut. “His </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind</span>
  </em>
  <span>? But aren’t you…-?” Maxkri asked dumbfounded but Echo interrupted, stepping forward suddenly interested in what they were talking about, to stand almost threatening, -almost because he did not look intimidated- in front of Cut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say it like you aren’t one of us. Do you have any idea what happened out there? To your own family, while you sat out here indulging yourself. While we starved and fought for a rigged cause and you hid in the farthest corner of the galaxy,” Maxkri was taken back at the outburst, his face paled in comparison to Echo’s whose burned a dark red against his rich skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cut looked… somber, not guilty but it was close enough. He clenched his fists and exclaimed, “I have a family! My </span>
  <em>
    <span>own</span>
  </em>
  <span> family. If you think you can beat me back into your little game called war then you are sadly mistaken. I will not be a part of your circus parade anymore, I’ve already been over this with Rex. Get over it. The Clone Wars have been over for over a decade now...-”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Captain Rex.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They were both in each other’s faces now, growling. Maxkri looked wide-eyed and delirious. Echo was squeezing Maxkri’s waist, whether to ground Maxkri -he was feeling on the verge of blacking out again- or to anchor himself from grabbing his blaster. It prevented him from moving, -not like he had the strength to pull the two apart anyway- so he was trapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Force certainly had a dark sense of humor though because it wasn’t until Cut was pushing Dosara back inside and close to slamming the door in their faces when a voice called from behind the red-head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright, knock it off you two! Cut, honey, I’m sure we wouldn’t mind helping Echo’s friend out, yeah?” A pretty, pink, female twi’lek came around the doorway, resting her hands against the Cut’s chest and pushing Echo slightly back in the same spot with her other hand. Her husband’s response was the turn of the head and a huffing snort of frustration. The twi’lek grinned in amusement and turned her attention to look at Maxkri and Echo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo immediately moved into an informal position of a bow and recited a formal greeting to her in Mando’a that had him tensing in silent anxiety. With a quick look down of bewilderment, Maxkri immediately copied Echo’s bow not wanting to appear rude, but he did not bother with repeating the greeting. He didn’t want to butcher the language and - Echo didn’t mind a slip of the tongue now and then - he only knew simple - but important - terms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maxkri Domino,” He told her, raising to return to his hunched height beside Echo again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Su’cuy, hello! It is nice to meet you, and you finally,” she said glancing at Echo, “you two may address me as Suu.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suu took in a breath to take in their appearances and Maxkri shyly smiled. She smiled back half-serious, half-worried, and walked up to him lifting a hand to brush the back of it against his sweaty forehead. Maxkri flinched expecting the sensation to be painful. Instead, he found himself leaning into her icy touch. Her hand was pleasantly cold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He suddenly felt an onslaught of doubts creep into his heart: Did he really have a fever? Would they even be able to help him? Was Echo right in putting his trust in these people… this alien? They should go back to the ship. Forget trying to reason with Echo’s friend and find another way to Fives. Solo…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Loud, jeering laughter traveled through the doorway as two more Clone’s appeared behind Cut, each dressed in the same farming attire as him. In an uncoordinated push, two times the weight Maxkri was expecting to handle was piled on top of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oof!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo broke his fall but that didn’t mean the hard armor didn’t hurt like a direct hit to the lungs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Echo!” The same two voices that had been laughing now shouted above Maxkri earning themselves another groan of complaint. Seeming to just notice him they filed a quick apology and stood up, grabbing at Maxkri arms and lifting him back up. He felt himself desperately clinging to that fail-safe of armor to stay standing while the other Clone helped Echo to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We knew you were alive! Cut here was saying a while back that, and I quote, ‘there is no way that bastard survived’. We never doubted you though. We knew that ever since you survived the attack on the Rishi Station, you could survive anything. Captain Rex, of course, defended you and had a whole argument on ‘my men are exceptional, are you questioning my methods of command’. But then-...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, Whoa! Slow down!” Echo cut in breathless with joy. “It’s good to see you both in high spirits, but give a trooper a little warning next time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I think we can do a little better than a warning of a vod-pile,” the Clone closest to Echo smirked mischievously before bringing Echo into a headlock. The two of them tousled and half limped around the clearing as Echo tried to get out the Clone’s tight hold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no! Jesse! Stop it!” But the Clone, Jesse, refused to. “I mean it ori’vod! Listen to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, but I’m having too much fun! When’s the last time you had some fun, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’d just allow me to speak!-...” Echo started but another voice interrupted him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Clone holding him out at the shoulders exclaimed, “No way, General Wilwolv!” He’d moved his attention away from the two Clones wrestling to rest it on the Jedi barely hanging onto his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jesse looked up from giving a noogie at Echo’s head of long, dark hair to peer over at the other two. “No way!” He repeated in the same astonished voice, unlocking his arm from around Echo’s neck. He shoved him away, disregarding him as Echo tripped, and jogged over to Maxkri’s side. “You brought General Wilwolv along with you too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The both of them stared at him in astonishment before a confused Cut chipped in. “General Wilwolv?” Honestly, he looked more angry than confused. </span>
  <em>
    <span>KRAG.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Not that Maxkri was trying to make a good first impression on himself but </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He knew Maxkri’s real last name now and Maxkri was sure that he had unintentionally put his family in danger now too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence between the seven of them in which Cut was trying hard to keep his mouth shut. His jaw was gritted into a half snarl and his fists clenched and unclenched at his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t keep it shut this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not only did you trespass on my property,” He said, “But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>lied</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me about your real identities.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t exactly blame me,” Maxkri replied. “I didn’t lie </span>
  <em>
    <span>per say</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I just </span>
  <em>
    <span>edited </span>
  </em>
  <span>my surname. Echo is still… Echo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fidgeted in his spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not easy for those like me to hide.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Clone still holding his shoulders turned his attention away from Cut with a smirk, ignoring the warning glances the other was giving him. “Greetings, General, I served under General Kenobi's 212th Corps Battalion. My CT number is CT-... is-...” The Clone seemed to be struggling to remember his CT-number. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No matter</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Maxkri thought and stopped him to bring one of his hands up to rest on their forearm. He recognized him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Waxer.” The Jedi answered in silent disbelief without missing a beat, his full attention now on Waxer’s face. It certainly had aged well and it bore a scare he couldn’t recall seeing before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember. You were the platoon leader that warned my commander about Master Krell on Umbara. Ghost Company, right?” Maxkri’s mind burned in heated embarrassment for ever having ties with the General much less Master Jedi. Maxkri could never forget the man who’d shown bravery on that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you are correct, General,” Waxer said formally and instinctively shied away, tilting his head down so the brim of the farmer hat he wore covered his burning cheeks. Jesse, to his right, punched his shoulder in a mocking-brotherly way. Echo joined them with a startled smile, the corner of his mouth lifted with his canines poking out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’d allowed me to speak freely I could have told you that information myself,” He laughed awkwardly, his own eyes passing over Maxkri’s shaking body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sir,” the two Clones responded in perfect, practiced unison, standing at attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, none of that now,” Echo said -awkwardly still-, realizing that ‘sir’ wasn’t being used as a joke anymore. “So, you two have made a home here with Cut and his family…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ay. As the Republic fell and our brothers betrayed the Jedi, those of us who still had control over ourselves or had the chip removed took to hiding,” Jesse looked over at Waxer. His counter partner was warily observing their reactions to his words. He was scared of losing again and Jesse knew he felt the same. “This was the one, the only place I could think of to turn tail to… the rest of our brothers disappeared elsewhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Fives?” Maxkri demanded, desperate for… </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know,” Waxer said, shaking his head in regret and focusing his gaze on Echo instead. “The last Jesse heard from him he was heading to the planet Kubindi and before that Takodana.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri’s gut tightened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Takodana</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Had Fives been there the same time as Echo? He tried to play the scenario through his mind. Echo had to have been there for a day, if not more before he left for Saleucami. However, Fives could have left straight after to journey to Kubindi, </span>
  <em>
    <span>years ago</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That would make an 11-year difference of travel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bloody fire, Fives could be anywhere in the galaxy by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no,” Echo stared ahead in silence as if the idea of Fives being within grasping distance was offensive. He pulled the two of his vode into a short hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesse. Waxer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir? Eh.. correction. What is it, Echo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to get my </span>
  <em>
    <span>ori’vod </span>
  </em>
  <span>checked out,” Echo said, nodding over to the sickly Jedi. He didn’t have to be a doctor to run a medical analysis on him and see that the young man’s body was undergoing a chain reaction against itself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Jedi was shaking against Waxer’s backside and tremors assaulted his legs with less than pleasant results. He felt like he would collapse into the deepest sleep of his life and never awaken from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suu moved from behind the security of her house door and put a gentle hand against his shoulder, while Waxer pulled away to give them space. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you two come inside and I’ll fix you both up something nice and warm, yeah?” She said, leading the worn-out Jedi and Clone into the farmers’ house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds nice. Thank you for offering your help,” Echo said, his feet somehow lighter in the steps he took to walk inside. Cut didn’t even get a say. He just moved out of his bold wife’s way and huffed as his only response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jesse rolled his eyes and crossed his arms toward the Twi’lek woman. “Hey, what about us two, too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suu turned once with a scold and pointedly shut the door in their face. Waxer’s loud, boasting laughter could be heard on the other side of the door followed by a scuffling sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri grinned lazily up at Suu and moved an arm around her shoulder to better support himself. Brothers. Probably loaded with a lot of trouble, with a lot of work, but for the next few days, his brothers. He also enjoyed this woman’s presence and only felt his chest set ablaze with a hotter ball of fiery joy at the appearance of smiling faces that greeted him. The smiling faces of (older) </span>
  <em>
    <span>children</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Behind him, the grinning, semi-toothless, smile on the first little Twi’lek’s face he’d met at the door was following at the tail of his black robes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat at a table and the pale yellow and pretty Twi’lek that he’d seen on his way in walked over and placed a steaming, hot bowl of something spice-smelling in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get this settled,” Suu said, “and then we can turn in for the night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxkri Wilwolv let the stew work its magic, taking small sips that warmed his insides down to the very bone. The sensation was like no other. Though, it dangerously reminded him of a time when the temptations of the other side of the Force coddled him of hope and peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He began the tale.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was supposed to be posted at the end of February but I got busy. <br/>LOL<br/>This is awful.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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